The journalists of online newspaper e-novine fear they may soon go out of business. Since their main sponsor withdrew its support last fall, they have been without structural funding and salaries. They are now calling on their readership of 200,000 visitors a month to donate money to support the critical news site.

E-novine's tiny editorial staff is housed in a modern apartment in Belgrade. The ten workstations and the seating area for guests don't represent the "rock 'n' roll journalism" chief editor Petar Lukovic (58) aspires to. Lukovic has put his computer in the smoking room, from which he shouts jokes and suggestions for headlines to his young staff. One of his concerns since launching the site two years ago has been finding advertisers. It has proven an impossible mission, he said. He does not believe the economic crisis is to blame, but rather the critical tone of his reporters. All advertising revenue goes to media who are positive about the government, according to Lukovic.

Marketing and advertising in Serbia is controlled by three large firms, all in the hands of members of the Democratic Party (DS), the dominant member of the coalition government. The mayor of Belgrade, Dragan Djilas, owns one company, the other two are run by the PR advisers of president Boris Tadic: Nebosja Krstic en Srdjan Saper.